Vibration wave driving device

- Canon

A long-life vibration wave motor which abrades little and can be driven for long time periods. causes a vibration member to form a vibration wave and thereby moves the vibration member and a contact member in tight contact with the vibration member relative to each other by a frictional force. The vibration wave motor includes a sliding material made from hard particles and a soft metal softer than the hard particles and having a sliding surface obtained by projecting the hard particles by 0.2 to 2 .mu.m from the surface of the soft metal used in one of two contact portions of the vibration member and the contact member.

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Claims

1. A vibration wave driving device for causing a vibration member to produce a vibration wave and moving a contact member in contact with said vibration member and said vibration member relative to each other by said vibration wave, comprising:

a sliding material made from hard particles and a soft metal softer than said hard particles in a contact portion of one of said vibration member and said contact member, said hard particles being projected by removal processing of removing said soft metal from a surface of said sliding material.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein etching is performed as said removal processing.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said hard particles are projected by 0.2 to 2.mu.m from a surface of said soft metal after said removal processing.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said removal processing is performed after smoothening is performed for the surface of said sliding material.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said sliding material is an aluminum alloy containing a member selected from the group consisting of silicon particles, alumina particles, and silicon carbide particles.

6. A device according to claim 2, wherein said sliding material is an aluminum alloy containing a member selected from the group consisting of silicon particles, alumina particles, and silicon carbide particles.

7. A device according to claim 4, wherein said sliding material is an aluminum alloy containing a member selected from the group consisting of silicon particles, alumina particles, and silicon carbide particles.

8. A device according to claim 5, wherein a content of said silicon particles in said sliding material is 3 to 40 wt %.

9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said sliding material is a nickel alloy containing silicon carbide particles.

10. A device according to claim 2, wherein said sliding material is a nickel alloy containing silicon carbide particles.

11. A device according to claim 4, wherein said sliding material is a nickel alloy containing silicon carbide particles.

12. A device according to claim 9, wherein a content of said silicon carbide particles in said sliding material is 5 to 30 wt %.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein in said sliding material, a film of another hard substance is formed on the surface of said soft metal after said removal processing.

14. A device according to claim 3, wherein in said sliding material, a film of a hard substance is formed on the surface of said soft metal after said removal processing.

15. A device according to claim 4, wherein in said sliding material, a film of a hard substance is formed on the surface of said soft metal after said removal processing.

16. A device according to claim 5, wherein in said sliding material, a film of a hard substance is formed on the surface of said soft metal after said removal processing.

17. A device according to claim 9, wherein in said sliding material, a film of a hard substance is formed on the surface of said soft metal after said removal processing.

18. A device according to claim 12, wherein in said sliding material, a film of a hard substance is formed on the surface of said soft metal after said removal processing.

19. A device according to claim 13, wherein an oxide film is used as said other hard substance.

20. A device according to claim 13, wherein a plating is used as said other hard substance.

21. A device according to claim 4, wherein polishing is used as said smoothening.

22. A device according to claim 1, wherein a resin composite material is used in a contact portion of the other one of said vibration member and said contact member.

23. A device according to claim 4, wherein a resin composite material is used as a contact portion of the other one of said vibration member and said contact member.

24. A device according to claim 5, wherein a resin composite material is used as a contact portion of the other one of said vibration member and said contact member.

25. A device according to claim 9, wherein a resin composite material is used as a contact portion of the other one of said vibration member and said contact member.

26. A device according to claim 13, wherein a resin composite material is used as a contact portion of the other one of said vibration member and said contact member.

27. A device according to claim 22, wherein a material in which fibers are mixed is used as said composite resin material.

28. A device according to claim 27, wherein carbon fibers are used as said fibers.

29. A device according to claim 22, wherein said resin composite material contains a fluorine resin.

30. A device according to claim 1, wherein a ceramic is used in a contact portion of the other one of said vibration member and said contact member.

31. A device according to claim 30, wherein at least one member selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, silicon carbide, and silicon nitride is used as said ceramic.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4382820 May 10, 1983 Inoue
4978882 December 18, 1990 Kitani
4995199 February 26, 1991 Miyoshi et al.
5041750 August 20, 1991 Kitani
5150000 September 22, 1992 Imasaka et al.
5157300 October 20, 1992 Kataoka et al.
5440191 August 8, 1995 Takagi
5448129 September 5, 1995 Sumihara et al.
5468130 November 21, 1995 Yamada et al.
5492091 February 20, 1996 Russ
5594291 January 14, 1997 Tamai et al.
5647967 July 15, 1997 Murase
Patent History
Patent number: 5917269
Type: Grant
Filed: Jul 22, 1997
Date of Patent: Jun 29, 1999
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo)
Inventors: Yutaka Maruyama (Tokyo), Koji Kitani (Chofu)
Primary Examiner: Thomas M. Dougherty
Law Firm: Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto
Application Number: 8/898,494
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: 310/323
International Classification: H02N 200;